Citation

Finch CF, Hayen A. Inj. Prev. 2006; 12(1): 2-3.

Affiliation

NSW Injury Risk Management Research centre, University of New South Wales, UNSW Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia; c.finch@unsw.edu.au

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/ip.2005.010587

PMID

16461410

PMCID

PMC2563496

Abstract

Although the major burden of injury is borne by the healthcare delivery system, the identification and implementation of solutions is often beyond its direct control. Notwithstanding this, there are clear opportunities for governmental health agencies to assume preventive leadership and to engage other sectors in reducing this public health burden. Injury has been well recognized by a variety of lead agencies internationally as one of the biggest challenges facing public health today. The acute care needs and burden on hospital service delivery far exceed that of all infectious diseases combined. No other health condition has such far reaching ramifications for future poor health, the economy, or national healthcare budgets. Despite this, many governmental health agencies do not assume adequate leadership in injury prevention.